Bonum Certa Men Certa

Links 11/3/2022: IPFire 2.27 - Core Update 164, FSF Opposes EARN-IT



  • GNU/Linux

    • Desktop/Laptop

      • TechTarget8 things to know when switching from Windows to Linux

        Free and open source software can be difficult to understand for those used to restrictive licensing and proprietary software that you can't modify. Linux makes source code -- i.e., the programming behind applications -- freely available. Anyone can modify that code to create better software over time.

        The result is that people can implement good ideas no matter where they come from and without any real regard for corporate agendas or financial bottom lines. Software evolves quickly and is subject to review only by the community, which often means increasing the application's security and stability.

        Proprietary software -- i.e., closed source software -- comes pre-compiled for the consumer. You cannot modify it.

    • Server

      • CloudFoundry vs Kubernetes: Which Cloud Platform Should You Choose? – CloudSavvy IT

        CloudFoundry and Kubernetes are two open-source technologies used to run applications in the cloud. Selecting the right platform for your deployments is an important choice to maximize performance, maintainability, and the productivity of your developers.

        In this article we’ll compare the characteristics of both CloudFoundry and Kubernetes. Whether you’re already using one of the pair, you’re trying to make the choice for your next project, or you’re just curious to learn how they differ, we’ll explore their capabilities and explain their use cases.

    • Audiocasts/Shows

    • Applications

      • Make Use OfThe Top 15 Best Linux Terminal Emulators

        The command line is the core of the Linux operating system. Unlike other OSes, Linux distros are more dependent on the terminal to carry out administrative tasks. Also, Linux users prefer it due to its better performance and power-user feel.

        The terminal comes pre-installed in most Linux distros. However, you might not get many customization options and advanced functionality with the default one. That's where the alternatives come into play—these terminal emulators provide extra features and customizations to enhance your Linux experience.

        So, let's look at 15 of the best terminal emulators for Linux that you can use for free.

    • Instructionals/Technical

      • VideoHow to install the Brave browser on Zorin OS 16 - Invidious

        In this video, we are looking at how to install the Brave browser on Zorin OS 16.

      • Linux Made SimpleHow to install Blender 3.0.1 on a Chromebook

        Today we are looking at how to install Blender 3.0.1 on a Chromebook. Please follow the video/audio guide as a tutorial where we explain the process step by step and use the commands below.

      • How to Extract a GZ File in Linux

        If you’re using a Linux PC, you’ll need to open a file or folder that’s been compressed to take less disk space from time to time. This is done to save room or to let you upload or download a file faster.

        On Windows, these files are usually compressed as zip files. Linux uses a similar algorithm, called gzip. If you want to interact with these files, you’ll need to know how to extract a GZ file in Linux—here’s how.

      • H2S MediaHow to Install VidCutter on Debian 11 Bullseye - Linux Shout

        Install free and open-source VidCutter software on Debian 11 Bullseye or Debian 10 Buster, using command terminal for video editing.

        VidCutter is a free editing program with a basic range of options to manipulate videos. But often enough you just want to crop a video or combine individual excerpts. This is where VidCutter comes into play.

        Just like its name developers of the program have been reduced to the essentials in order to offer you exactly what you need for cutting. So you no longer have to learn complicated video editing programs just to build a small clip.

      • How to Control Root-Level SSH Access | Venafi

        Cracking just one SSH machine identity allows attackers to pivot to other systems. Take control over your SSH keys without disruptions or outages with Venafi’s SSH Protect.

      • H2S MediaHow to install IntelliJ IDEA on Ubuntu 22.04 | 20.04 LTS - Linux Shout

        Get the steps and commands to install IntelliJ IDEA on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal fossa and 22.04 Jammy JellyFish using the terminal to start coding and developing applications.

        The IntelliJ development environment is a popular IDE among Java developers. The commercial version costs around 49.90 dollars per month – whereas the community edition with some limited features is completely free.

        Compared to the free alternative Eclipse, IntelliJ convinces it with a nice, modern interface. Anyone who has ever worked with an IDE will quickly find their way around here.

        IntelliJ is perfect for developing Java, Kotlin, Groovy, Scala, and Android programs. The integration of Git, SVN, Mercurial, and CVS is also very practical.

      • Managing MiniDisc Devices From the Command Line

        So I've been working on getting a CLI NetMD setup going, as all the existing options are either electron-based (bad), or google chrome only (worse). Most of my other workflow is on the command line, if I can avoid it I'm not opening up a GUI or Web app to do just one thing. Particularly since I rerecord various discs every week or more, I wanted something that was convenient to use and was “set it and forget it”. platinum-md requires me to slowly navigate to the folder holding the song I want, select it to transfer, wait, then slowly navigate to the next folder and so on which is no fun. Also my six year old laptop fans rev up full speed the instant I opened it so that doesn't make it easy to “forget it” either.

      • How to install Zabbix 6 on Ubuntu 20.04 step by step - NextGenTips

        In this tutorial I will be showing you how to install Zabbix 6 step by step on Ubuntu 20.04.

        Zabbix is an open-source tool for monitoring IT infrastructure like networking, servers, cloud services and virtual machines.

        Zabbix collects and display basic metrics on a dashboard. It uses a flexible notification mechanisms that allows users to configure email based alerts for all the events that happened. This allows fast reaction to server problems. Zabbix offers excellent data visualization and reporting using stored data. Zabbix reports and configurations are accessed via a web based frontend.

      • TechRepublicHow to use SSHFS to mount remote directories on Rocky Linux | TechRepublic

        SSHFS (SSH File System) makes it possible to mount remote filesystems via an SSH connection. SSHFS uses SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) to mount a remote directory on a local machine such that the connection between the client and server is encrypted. Because of that, SSHFS can be used as a more secure solution for traditional FTP.

      • Install Cockpit on Debian 11/Ubuntu 22.04 - kifarunix.com

        Follow through this guide to learn how to install Cockpit on Debian 11/Ubuntu 22.04. Cockpit is Web Console enables users to administer GNU/Linux servers using a web browser. It offers network configuration, log inspection, diagnostic reports, interactive command-line sessions, and more. You will learn how to install Cockpit on Debian 11 and how to install Cockpit on Ubuntu 22.04.

      • H2S MediaHow to Install LibreWolf Browser on Debian 11 Bullseye - Linux Shout

        Learn the commands to install open source LibreWolf browser on Debian 11 Bullseye Linux using command terminal.

      • H2S MediaHow To Install Cacti monitoring on Ubuntu 22.04 | 20.04 - Linux Shout

        Have a look at the quick steps given in the tutorial to install Cacti on Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy JellyFish and Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa server for monitoring network devices.

        Cacti is an open-source tool for monitoring hosts in larger networks using SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol). It comes with numerous ready-made scripts and data templates. Cacti is just as suitable for a server running under Linux that queries the remotely maintainable network switch as it is for recording and visualizing any other measurement data that occurs regularly. It offers itself as a framework that can be easily configured via a browser. Cacti uses the MySQL database to save its settings and the Apache webserver for interactive configuration and display of the graphics.

        Cacti manage templates for graphics, hosts, and data sources that can be created using a browser. You save a lot of work if the same values ​​have to be monitored on several hosts. The visualization tool comes with ready-made templates for many systems (Linux/Unix computers, various router models).

    • Games

    • Distributions

      • New Releases

        • Beta NewsBuying the Zorin OS 16.1 Pro Linux-based operating system can help Ukraine

          Zorin OS is one of the best Linux-based operating systems around, thanks to its focus on elegance and simplicity. It offers familiarity to Windows-switchers too. Ultimately, Zorin OS is a solid distribution for both Linux beginners and experts alike.

          Today, the first "point" release of Zorin OS 16 becomes available for download. Zorin OS 16.1 comes with security patches plus other goodies, such as the great LibreOffice 7.3 office suite and other updated packages.

          This version of the operating system is loaded with support for new hardware too, such as Sony's PlayStation 5 Dual Sense game controller and Apple's Magic Mouse 2. How cool is that? Those with very modern PCs will appreciate support for 12th generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA RTX 3050 graphics cards. The developers also promise better support for Wi-Fi cards and printers.

          Do you want to try Zorin OS 16.1 for yourself? You can grab an ISO from the download page here. Don't be scared by the $39 asking price, as that is only for the "Pro" variant of the operating system. The "Core" version is entirely free. With that said, the Pro variant does have some pretty cool additional features -- you can compare the two versions on the download page linked above.

        • IPFire 2.27 - Core Update 164 released

          A little but later than scheduled, it is finally here: IPFire 2.27 - Core Update 164 - coming with a vastly improved firewall engine, a new kernel under the hood, and of course with various security and bug fixes.

          Before we talk in detail about what is new, I would like to ask you for your support. IPFire is a small team of people and like many of our open source friends, we’ve taken a hit this year and would like to ask you to help us out.

        • 9to5LinuxKali Unkaputtbar Brings File System Snapshots to Btrfs-Based Kali Linux Systems

          If you ever wanted to have file system snapshots on your Kali Linux installation, now you can with Kali Unkaputtbar, a new feature that implements just that on all Kali Linux 2022.1 and later systems that use the Btrfs file system by default.

          Kali Unkaputtbar implements automatic snapshots for APT installations or removals, automatic snapshots on every boot, automatic creation of Kali Linux specific Btrfs subvolume layouts, and adds a new boot menu in the GRUB bootloader to let users boot into specific snapshots in a read/write manner.

      • BSD

        • FreeBSDFreeBSD Quarterly Status Report 4th Quarter 2021 | The FreeBSD Project

          This report covers FreeBSD related projects for the period between October and December. It is the fourth of four planned reports for 2021, and contains 19 entries. Highlights include faster boot times, more LLDB work, a base OpenSSH update, and more wireless development.

      • IBM/Red Hat/Fedora

        • [Old] PipeWire

          I've been using pipewire for all my audio for about a month now and my overall verdict is..... pretty good. It is still alpha quality and in heavy development, but I can imagine a time in the not-too-far-off-future when pipewire is the default on major Linux distributions. That said, I haven't tried the video side of things; at the moment a functional webcam is all I need.

        • VMware and Red Hat top 5G Telco Cloud native platforms ranking
        • Red Hat wants to be the default platform for Open RAN - Telecoms.com

          Open-source enterprise software vendor Red Hat reckons it’s perfectly positioned to be the default platform for the move towards OpenRAN.

        • Red Hat OfficialUniversity Health Network Transforms Core Connected Healthcare System with Red Hat Integration

          Red Hat, Inc., the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that University Health Network, a Toronto-based healthcare and medical research organization, transformed its core hospital information system using Red Hat Integration to improve data accessibility across specialized patient care applications throughout the organization. With an enhanced integration solution, University Health Network is able to connect previously disparate environments to consolidate, transport, and improve the security of critical healthcare data in support of better patient outcomes and clinical research needs.

      • Debian Family

        • Michael Ablassmeier: fscom switch shell

          The command and password are not documented by the manufacturer, i wondered wether if its possible to extract that password from the firmware. After all: its my device, and i want to have access to all the features!

        • Holger Levsen: 20220310-Debian-Reunion-Hamburg-2022

          As last year there will be a Debian Reunion Hamburg 2022 event taking place at the same location as previous years, from May 23rd until the 30th.

          This is just a preliminary announcement to get the word out, that this event will happen, so you can ponder attending. The wiki page has more information and some fine folks have even already registered!

    • Devices/Embedded

    • Free, Libre, and Open Source Software

      • Now Hiring! Project Coordinator | Inkscape

        As Inkscape continues to grow, the responsibilities of the Inkscape team increase in tandem. To keep up with the current pace, the Project Leadership Committee are looking for a Project Coordinator.

      • The modern function and role of the OSI Board of Directors [Ed: This latest OSI waffle distracts from the fact they're put Microsoft in charge]

        The last few years have seen a lot of change for the Open Source Initiative. Starting in 2020, we started a journey to strengthen the organization. We’ve had a profound clarification of mission and vision. We shifted into an advisory board and hired our first Executive Director to lead the organization and staff. Together, the board and staff defined OSI’s strategy, which the staff used to develop measurable 2022 goals and plans that move us towards our vision. This strategy and planning approach is an evolution in the role of the board of directors and how it functions with staff.

      • Web Browsers

        • Mozilla

          • GhacksApple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla are working together to improve web development standards [Ed: This is not improving the Web, it's making it worse; they're colluding to control it (and they already control it; see the past fortnight's events)]

            Apple, Google, Microsoft and Mozilla are working together in order to improve the web standards that are used across browsers and devices. It might sound like a cool crossover episode of superheroes, but this is not the first time the browser giants are pooling resources, they began working together in 2019.

          • MozillaThe pandemic changed everything — even the way we use browser extensions

            On March 11, 2020 the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Within days, practically the entire planet was on lockdown. We went indoors and online.

            So how did the sudden mass migration online impact browser extension usage? Pretty dramatically, it turns out. On this two-year mark of the start of the pandemic we looked back at Firefox extension installs and usage data to discover several compelling trends.

      • FSF

        • FSFEARN-IT threatens encryption and therefore user freedom

          A campaign recently launched in the United Kingdom demonizes encryption as something only a criminal would so much as want to use, and the rationale behind the "Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies" (EARN-IT) Act currently on the floor of the US Senate is much the same. Everywhere we turn, we find senators and talking heads claiming that governments around the world need to hold "Big Tech accountable," and they say one important step of that is banning end-to-end encryption. Criminals, they say, shouldn't be given a way to secure their communications from scrutiny. It's no surprise to hear governments pointing to crime as a way to justify encroachments on individual freedom -- or, for that matter, to use loaded words like "hide." Are you "hiding" when you lock the door of your home every day, just because the government is not permitted to enter it without a warrant? Is it "hiding" to seal the envelope of the card you're sending your Valentine? Even if you accept that this is hiding, end-to-end encryption is not only, or even primarily, for hiding from bulk government surveillance.

          Anytime lawmakers begin to contemplate the so-called "rampant" misuse of end-to-end encryption, they would do well to reflect on the positive ways it's being used on a daily basis. A lot of time is (rightly) devoted to how it has protected whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, but end-to-end encryption has vital use cases that are much closer to home. Free, encrypted messaging, for example, helps protect queer youth from intolerant violence (at home and abroad, as in Ghana). At the same time, in a world where abusers can stalk their victims solely by hiding an AirTag in their bag, end-to-end encryption plays a direct role in helping victims out of these relationships by enabling them to contact friends for help. There are as many use cases for end-to-end encryption as there are people using it. To say otherwise shows not only a paucity of imagination, but is something that can only be spoken from a position of power and privilege.

        • GNU Projects

          • [Old] How I found out about FOSS

            Now I can count the number of non-free programs I use (excluding firmware stuff), want to find ways to stop using those (seems unlikely), and would very much like to get in on the whole open hardware thing (but that's not going to happen any time soon). I've seen not just how much more ethical and sensible the free software approach is, but also that a lot of the time the software is technically better than the alternatives. Not being told what you can and can't do with your devices by massive corporations is a big plus too.

            Collaboration and sharing just make so much sense, I'm very glad the free software community exists.

          • GNU Jitter and GCC: the fun of playing with fire

            A few days ago on March 6 I participated in the Binary T00ls Summit online event (https://binary-tools.net/) organised by José Marchesi (https://jemarch.net); a video recording is now available.

            My presentation had the ridiculous title GNU Jitter and the illusion of simplicity or Copying, patching and combining compiler-generated code in executable memory or The Anarchist’s guide to GCC or The fun of playing with fire — or, in shortened form, GNU Jitter and GCC: the fun of playing with fire.

  • Leftovers

    • Integrity/Availability

      • Proprietary

        • Pseudo-Open Source

          • Privatisation/Privateering

            • Linux Foundation

              • Block Joins the Linux Foundation [Ed: No connection at all to Linux]

                You know Block – but you may not know that you know the company. After changing their name in December from Square, Inc. to Block, the company is made up of Square, Cash App, TIDAL, Spiral, and TBD54566975. We are excited to announce that Block joined the Linux Foundation as a Silver Member.

                At their core, Block is a global technology company with a focus on financial services. They work to help diverse audiences—sellers, individuals, artists, fans, developers, and all the people in between—overcome barriers to access the economy. From enabling sellers to adapt to a new, contactless and omnichannel economy, to finding new ways for musicians to get paid and pursuing many crypto initiatives aimed at improving the Bitcoin ecosystem, they are innovating every day to help shape a more inclusive economy of the future.

              • What Is The SPDX Standard and How Is It Helping The Software Industry? [Ed: Linux Foundation is a front group of anti-GPL collectives]

                The list includes big names like Google and Microsoft as well as the developers of adjacent tools such as Anchore and Snyk.

        • Security

          • The New StackSilkworm Encryption

            Building a bullet-proof encryption system isn’t easy. A major component of all classic cryptographic systems is random numbers. But how random is random? All too often random-number generators are fatally flawed. Some run out of entropy, such as billions — that wasn’t a typo — billions of insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Others, such as 2008’s infamous Debian Linux OpenSSL failure, owe their origin to really sloppy programming. And let’s not forget that the NSA used to routinely weaken commercial cryptography by playing random number games. So, why not improve your encryption with random number generators based on silkworms?

          • The New StackHow an OSPO Can Help Secure Your Software Supply Chain [Ed: Typical openwashing garbage and FUD from VMware; "VMware Tanzu sponsored this article for The New Stack."]

            It’s nearly impossible these days to build software without using open source code. But all that free software carries additional security risks.

            Organizations grapple with how best to secure their open source software supply chain. But there’s another problem: Many companies don’t even know how many open source applications they have — or what’s in them.

          • Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt/Fear-mongering/Dramatisation

            • eSecurity PlanetDirty Pipe Makes Linux Privilege Escalation Easy

              A major Linux vulnerability dubbed “Dirty Pipe” could allow even the least privileged users to perform malicious actions.

              Researcher Max Kellermann of Ionos revealed the new vulnerability earlier this week. The name is reminiscent of the “Dirty Cow” vulnerability discovered in 2016 that allowed attackers to gain root access on any Android Phone regardless of the OS version, but Dirty Pipe could be even easier to exploit than its predecessor.

              Kellermann managed to exploit the Linux kernel bug, which allows any user, including the least privileged ones such as the “nobody” account, to perform malicious actions such as adding an SSH-key to the root user’s account to access the server remotely with full privileges.

            • Make Use OfWhat Is the Dirty Pipe Exploit in Linux and How Can You Fix It? [Ed: The media likes to make it sound like Linux is the worst]

              Linux has fallen prey to yet another highly-severe privilege escalation vulnerability in recent succession to the Control Groups loophole that allowed threat actors to escape containers and execute arbitrary code. This new vulnerability weaponizes the piping mechanism in Linux and uses it to gain write access with root privileges.

              It is raising eyebrows throughout the Linux community and has been named as a nominee for being one of the most serious threats discovered in Linux since 2016.

            • Linux vulnerability allowed root-level access | SC Media

              A German coder and security researcher recently posted his findings related to a Linux kernel bug that could give root-level access to remote attackers.

              In a post, Max Kellerman called the bug in CVE-2022-0847 “Dirty Pipe,” which allowed overwriting data in arbitrary read-only files, which can lead to privilege escalation. The vulnerability was patched in 5.10.102, 5.15.25 and 5.16.11, but is still vulnerable in 5.8, 5.10, 5.15 and 5.16.

            • CSODirty Pipe root Linux vulnerability can also impact containers | CSO Online [Ed: New twists of 'flavours' of the FUD]

              The dangerous Linux privilege escalation flaw dubbed Dirty Pipe that was recently disclosed could also impact applications and systems that use containerization through tools such as Docker, researchers warn. This follows a different privilege escalation vulnerability that was patched last week and could lead to container escapes.

            • Synopsys contributes to the Linux Foundation Census II of the most widely used open source application libraries [Ed: Microsoft proxies like Black Duck were being the attacks on Linux through the 'Linux' Foundation, spreading FUD for Microsoft]

              Last week, the nonprofit Linux Foundation and Harvard’s Lab for Innovation Science published Census II of Free and Open Source Software—Application Libraries. This report identifies more than 1,000 of the most widely deployed open source application libraries. Synopsys Cybersecurity Research Center (CyRC) was among the contributors of anonymized usage data based on scans of codebases at thousands of companies, providing data that allowed for a more complete picture of the free and open source software (FOSS) landscape.

          • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Environment

      • Journey to save planet

        A standard XII boy from Bengaluru has been chosen to be a part of a climate change expedition to Antarctica. The Climate Force Antarctic Expedition is scheduled for March 17-28. Organisers said the expedition will be more than just carbon neutral but in fact ‘carbon negative’. Through various carbon capture/offsetting strategic partnerships, the expedition’s projected emissions will be offset by 1.25 times.

    • AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

      • [Older] World's Biggest Social Media Company Does More Anti-Social Things

        Look, we don't want to be covering Facebook again either, but the company it seems is incapable of avoiding serious international scandals for any meaningful length of time. While each of these outrages would be enough to sink plenty of Silicon Valley companies, this particular one seems to be coated in a Facebook-blue shade of Teflon.

        Take the second week of September, for example. A report by the New York Times detailed how Facebook had been providing academics incomplete and potentially misleading data on Facebook misinformation for years. The company had permitted access to its data for researchers studying the spread of misinformation on the site for the last couple of years in order to build trust in the brand, however the Times report noted that the data it's been providing included only around half of users in the US, and only ones that engaged at a high level with political content. A Facebook spokesman explained the issue as a "technical error" and email to researchers include apologies from Facebook for the "inconvenience it may have caused", but the company also cut off access to the NYA Ad Observatory Project for using its own browser plug-in to collect its own data on the site's political advertising.

      • Fortnite isn't a game, it's a lecherous advertising platform

        In 2019 one Canadian lawyer filed a legal notice against Epic Games, accusing it of using psychological techniques in order to hook players to Fortnite.

    • Internet Policy/Net Neutrality



Recent Techrights' Posts

Official SUSE Blog Still Uses LLM Slop (Bots) to Make Fake Articles (Marketing)
The company is all about sound bites
Companies Realise That Slop Doesn't Work as Advertised, Accordingly Dump It
"Hype dims as a country-wide survey of US corporations shows a sudden drop-off in AI use among firms with more than 250 employees."
Microsoft-Funded Lawsuits Against Critics of UEFI 'Secure Boot'
Remember that no company (or law firm) ever survives collaborations with Microsoft
It's Only the Second Week of September and Already Two Waves of Layoffs at Microsoft, Slopfarms and Microsoft-Funded Sites Spin It as "AI Investments" Rather Than Commercial Failure
A very large third one expected next week
If Your Machine Still Has "Secure Boot" Enabled, Then Microsoft Has a de Facto Kill Switch (Even If Your Machine Doesn't Have Windows and Never Had Windows)
It is not incorrect to call UEFI 'secure boot' a "kill switch"
Reddit is Corporate Propaganda
To make matters worse, Reddit ousted many original moderators
Jeff Geerling Shocked to Discover Many Metrics in YouTube Are Fake (His Audience Turns Out to be Much Smaller)
Maybe self-host all videos, don't rely on Google's "FOMO" cheating (addiction based on false assumptions)
 
Links 09/09/2025: US-Korea Tensions and Meta Whistleblowers
Links for the day
Gemini Links 09/09/2025: Moon Eclipse and ROOPHLOCH Reports
Links for the day
Links 09/09/2025: “Torrents of Hate” and Political Crisis in France
Links for the day
Gemini Links 09/09/2025: "Dedigitizing" and Forgejo on FreeBSD
Links for the day
Google News (Not Just Google Search) Lets Itself by Gamed by One Slopfarm - to the Point Almost Half of "Linux" News is Bot-Produced Plagiarism (LLM Slop With Slop Images)
That says a lot about what Google thinks of quality, even in Google News
Bill Gates-Funded Media Inadvertently Refutes the Microsoft Lie That in 2025 Microsoft Had Just Two Waves of Layoffs
There were about 12 rounds of layoffs so far in 2025
From theregister.co.uk to theregister.com (US) to The Register MS (Run by Microsoft Operatives) and theregister.ai
The best way to break this racket (or cycle of hype and harm) is to break the chains of funding
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Culture of Censorship Necessitates More Speech
The OSI bans dissent or people who merely point out that the OSI is abusive
How to Reach Us Discreetly (Other Than Encrypted E-mail)
We're still managing to maintain a 100% source protection record. We soon turn 19.
LLMs Are Vastly Worse Than a Waste of Energy and the Externalities Are Huge
Worse than just higher power bills for everybody
LLMs Versus Search (Not Replacing Search But Engaging in DDoS Attacks Against Web Sites That Permit Searching)
The state of the Web isn't just bad; it's utterly terrible
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 08, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, September 08, 2025
The UEFI 9/11 - Part IX - Shunning Old Computers (in 2023 the Certificate Was Updated/Overridden, Underlying Aim May Be Herding/Forcing People to Get TPM and Other 'Novel' Restrictions)
the "upgrade treadmill"
Rumour: Second Wave of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in September to Commence Third Week of September
That basically answers questions like, "Any specific date or time of the month?"
Gemini Links 08/09/2025: Reality, ROOPHLOCH 2025, and Writing Another Gemini Client
Links for the day
Updating Firmware is Not the Solution But Only Additional Risk, Disable "Secure Boot" Today
firmware blobs are buggy, secret, impossible to audit, and barely tested
Microsoft Tim's DevClass (Part of The Register MS/Situation Publishing) is Full of Slop
Looking at many sites that are full of slop images is becoming an eye sore and hallmark of text too likely generated by LLMs or 'assisted' (tainted) by them
Microsoft Trying to Fake Demand for Slop. At What Cost?
That's a giant demotion and broken promises
Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant and Kryptonite/Garlic to Vampires
Transparency (sometimes described by words like "Sunlight" or "Truth") is paramount
The Register MS Uses Slop in Articles About Slop
we are fairly certain it's slop or CG based on other people's work
Visiting a Web Page or a Public URL Should be Safe, Predictable, and Benign
It's probably too late to "fix" the Web
The Register MS (Situation Publishing) is Paid to Spread Mindless Hype for the "Hey Hi" Ponzi Scheme and That's a Serious Problem
"Sponsored by Zoom."
Links 08/09/2025: Burger King Cracked, Cox v. Sony Analysed
Links for the day
Gemini Links 08/09/2025: Socialist Computer Museum and GAFAM/ByteDance/TikTok-Dominated Net
Links for the day
Links 08/09/2025: Tim Crook Disappoints Apple Faithfuls and Zuckerberg Lies (Financial Fraud) for Cheeto King
Links for the day
EPO Workers Point Out that the EPO is Destroying the Planet Under the Guise of "Hey Hi" (It Also Grants Many Invalid Patents Illegally
On 12 March and 16 June 2025, staff representation met with the administration in the Local Occupational Health, Safety and Ergonomics Committee (LOHSEC) in Munich
Turn Off Microsoft's Restricted Boot ("Secure Boot")
We're still running a series on this issue
Social Control Media Sites Have Become Bot Farms (Not Limited to LLMs and Automation)
linkedin.com was nothing but trouble and losses for Microsoft
Deep in Debt With the Magnitude of Losses Quickly Growing, Microsoft "Open" "Hey Hi" Now Uses Broadcom for Vapourware, Pretending It'll Do OK Next Year
At some stage it'll collapse
You Can Tell Microsoft is in Trouble When Its Own Fans and Staff Blast it
"Microsoft sinks billions into chasing artificial intelligence fads to hype up its share price."
Multiple Undersea Cable Cuts and We're Still OK
Microsoft customers experience problems
Lawyers Who Think They Are Online Assassins Don't Deserve a Licence to Operate
they've become a laughing stock in their "sector"
Microsoft Windows Fell to 3.9% "Market Share" in Bahamas
Based on statCounter
How the European Union (EU) Fell Out of Love With Free/Libre Software
Lots of bribery
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, September 07, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, September 07, 2025
Gemini Links 07/09/2025: Scanner, Slop, and Chadobear
Links for the day
The UEFI 9/11 is 3 Days Away
Nobody denies that bad things will happen
Google Versus Journalism
Google played a big role in the demise of news sites
Gemini Links 07/09/2025: Advertising, Decentralized Archival, and Outsourcing to Bezos
Links for the day
Certificate Authority Let's Encrypt Has Almost Gone Down to Zero, Nearly Totally Extinct in Geminispace, the Few Capsules Still Using It Are Spam/Dead/Stagnant
This represents another decrease for Let's Encrypt; the last decrease was last week
Not Much Left in News Cycles
To be very clear, this does not describe "Linux" anything; it's true in just about every facet of news, except the paid-for fake "journalism" about "hey hi" (sites getting paid explicitly to maintain or rekindle hype)
Trying to Silence Techrights Was a Huge Mistake
Peter Thiel attacked a publisher for asserting, correctly, that he was gay. Now everyone knows it.
Throwing Away "Old" Computers (Mozilla and Other Climate Deniers)
Mozilla is not leftist
The UEFI 9/11 - Part VIII - Denial of Service and Selling Us WSL (Windows) Instead of "Risky" (Prone by Breakage by Microsoft) GNU/Linux
Restricted Boot (so-called 'SecureBoot') does not improve security. It is nothing but trouble. It's meant to trouble non-Windows users. In dual-boot setups, SecureBoot is a recipe for disaster because Microsoft keeps erasing or tampering with the boot sector, to paraphrase an associate
Slop is Extremely Rare in Geminispace, Slop Images Are Unheard Of (Despite Images Being Supported)
As long as Geminispace grows in terms of domains it's safe to predict the protocol will still be used in 2029 and hence Geminispace will turn 10
Links 07/09/2025: Robodebt Class Action, Fines, and Copyright Settlement
Links for the day
Links 07/09/2025: Yle Impersonated in Social Control Media, Boat-Attacking Orcas, Midjourney Sued Again
Links for the day
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, Linux Journal, and the Serial Slopper
Google won't tackle the issue because Google participates not only in relaying slop but also in generating lots of it
Links 07/09/2025: Google Fines in EU and "Your Internet Access Is at Risk"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 07/09/2025: Little Brother and Corporate Theatre
Links for the day
Links 07/09/2025: More Harms of Slop and Anthropic's Nightmare Scenario (Huge Legal Liabilities for Slop)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, September 06, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, September 06, 2025